duncan@bgsuvax.UUCP (02/25/87)
We have a couple of 3b2/300s and desire to use one for interfacing to experiments. I am interested to know about any and all A/D boards which are known to WORK in a 3b2/300. Our requirements are quite standard-- 16 bits, not super speed but reasonable. I would like to know the properties and costs of such boards as well any REAL experiences anyone has had with utilizing them in laboratory environments. Thanks for any help anyone can provide. Comer Duncan Department of Physics and Astronomy Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43403 ...osu-eddie!bgsuvax!duncan duncan@bgsu.edu <-- csnet address
larry@kitty.UUCP (02/27/87)
In article <698@bgsuvax.UUCP>, duncan@bgsuvax.UUCP (Comer Duncan) writes: > > We have a couple of 3b2/300s and desire to use one for > interfacing to experiments. I am interested to know > about any and all A/D boards which are known to WORK > in a 3b2/300. Our requirements are quite standard-- > 16 bits, not super speed but reasonable. > > I would like to know the properties and costs of such > boards as well any REAL experiences anyone has had > with utilizing them in laboratory environments. My organization has done an extensive amount of analog signal processing on 3B2's for scientific instrument and process control applications in the past 2-1/2 years. All of this signal processing is in "quasi" real-time. We perform A/D, D/A and parallel I/O interfacing using external devices which connect to the serial ports of the 3B2. We use external data acquisition systems such as the Burr-Brown PCI-3000, and interface them to the 3B2 at 9600 baud. We also design our own microprocessor-based interface devices which consist of an A/D converter with mux, microprocessor, buffer memory, and serial port. These interface circuits are comparatively simple and inexpensive to design. Unfortunately, I know of no off-the-shelf analog signal acquisition device which plugs directly into the 3B2 data bus. I have toyed with the design of such a device from time to time, but have elected not to go that route for the time being. One reason is that the available I/O board area and outside-world connector-space is limited. Another reason is the effort involved to assure the Grand High Exaulted Mystic Rulers of AT&T that our board design won't damage customer's 3B2's and void warrantys. While I would like to see someone place such a board on the market as a product, I suspect that it is unlikely due to the comparatively few 3B2's used for this type of application. *I* think the 3B2 has some good points for this type of application, but, well, the rest of the world doesn't necessarily agree with me... <> Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York <> UUCP: {allegra|ames|boulder|decvax|rocksanne|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry <> VOICE: 716/688-1231 {hplabs|ihnp4|mtune|seismo|utzoo}!/ <> FAX: 716/741-9635 {G1,G2,G3 modes} "Have you hugged your cat today?"
pgb@ihuxb.UUCP (02/27/87)
In article <698@bgsuvax.UUCP>, duncan@bgsuvax.UUCP (Comer Duncan) writes: > > We have a couple of 3b2/300s and desire to use one for > interfacing to experiments. I am interested to know > about any and all A/D boards which are known to WORK > in a 3b2/300. Our requirements are quite standard-- > ... If you have GPIB-compatible data-acquisition instruments you may be interested to know that National Instruments, purveyor of GPIB interfaces to the Free World, sells a GPIB board, plus associated driver package, for the AT&T 3B2 computer. Contact them directly -- sorry, I don't have the phone #... Pat Brown @ AT&T Naperville IL